How to conquer your wedding day timeline easily!
Why you need to plan your wedding day? Simple, you plan now, and get everything arranged, then have fun and party later when the day comes. So let's jump right in!
Write out all of your unique wedding logistics
The first thing you want to do is write out everything that you want to happen at the wedding. This seems daunting but trust me. It is vital to the process. And not everything has to have an assigned time. But you should know exactly when dinner is being served and when the ceremony is. From there you can base everything off that.
Such a list might look like this: Ceremony 4:00, Dinner 6:30, I also want a first look, cake cutting, first dances, all bridal and groomsmen photos, some time for just me and my fiancé, cocktail hour, and a visit a nearby bar for a drink before ceremony. You can also start to include what photos you want to take in this list. Your list can have everything and anything you want to squeeze into your wedding day.
Start from scratch and figure out allotted time for everything
Now that you have everything written down you have to alot time for everything. For example, your ceremony will take 15 to 20 minutes. Or depending on what type of ceremony it is, it might take longer? Try and estimate how long it will take for everything that you write down, it won't be 100% accurate and that's okay. This will help you find out if you can do everything that you want. And of course how long it will take.
One thing you need to know for your timeline is that your day is going to start earlier than you might think possibly early in the morning.
Talk to the planning experts
It can be extremely helpful to talk to an event coordinator or a professional wedding planner. For a cost they can take a huge burden off of you and your fiance. If you are considering a wedding planner or some other professional they should be able to help you every step of the way.
Add buffers
Your wedding day can get hectic and of course hiccups can happen. That is why it is important to add a few buffers of time. Lets just say for example that your bride and groom portraits have taken a little longer than you thought. The next thing to do on your timeline should have already started. The easy way to avoid this problem is to schedule in some spare time here and there or easier yet. Just give yourself some more time. This way you wont rush yourself and take stress off your shoulders.
Don't make the guests wait to eat
This is a very simple and easy rule to follow. The best way to not make your guests wait is to have dinner not too long after your ceremony. Give or take an hour to an hour and a half. Another trick that is helpful to have your guests arrive on time is to tell them that the ceremony is earlier than it actually is. That way if someone is 15 minutes too late they are actually right on time. (No one arrives mid ceremony to distract you).
Here is an example timeline of my most recent couple
9:00 - Hair and makeup
11:45 - arrive at the venue
12:00 Getting ready photos with the girls and bridesmaids first look
12:30 bridesmaids photos
1:30 - Groom and Groomsmen arrive and the first look with the groom and couples portraits
2:00 groomsman photos
2:30 Entire wedding party photos
3:15 outside venue shots, inside venue shots,decor and details
4:00 ceremony
4:30 cocktail hour and family photos
5:45 dinner
6:30 speeches
6:45 cake served and cut
7:00 first dances
7:15 Dance party
9:30 late night snacks
10:30 Bar closes
The last step you need to do is put it all together
You should be able to plan effectively now and instead of focusing on details you can enjoy the day with your partner.
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-Alexander
